Dr. Einsteinorous is a dinosaur, the star of our children’s book, Dr. Einsteinorous Becomes a Dentist. In the first book, released in February, he treats many dinosaurs – big and small, veggie lovers and meat eaters alike – many with hundreds of teeth!!! It’s a fun loving story about learning to keep healthy teeth, filled with quirky words (by me) and amazing illustrations by Jennifer Lenderking.
Kids love the purples, the reds, the yellows, the funny faces, the small faces, and the quizzical smiles.
There was no better feeling, believe me, than seeing pictures of friends’ and relatives’ kids and grandkids sitting there, eyes bright, totally engrossed in the book. It was also an incredible experience reading the book to a wonderful group of children and their parents at a Washington, DC area bookstore and having them approach me afterward to point out what they thought was really neat about a certain dinosaur.
There’s one thing you should know about Dr. E: he is absolutely thrilled and over-the-top about learning and he wants to show kids just how great learning can be. Dr. E is a cool guy, believe me. And now, he’s back! (Not that he ever really left).
Which leads us to some exciting news: we have released a brand new Dr. Einsteinorous book, Dr. Einsteinorous Becomes a Teacher .
Dr. E is a pretty flexible guy and he isn’t treating dental patients this time around. Instead, he’s a teacher at the Pangea World School for Dinos. He has a great group of young dinos who are learning to study, read, figure things out and keep thinking about the world.
When Dr. E joins the school, he discovers a classroom full of curious young dinosaurs of every shape, size and talent, all eager to explore to explore everything. From mighty giants to pint-sized explorers, every dino has something special to share together.
Some familiar cast members are in Book No. 2 and some new ones too. Optimisaurus, Dr. E’s best friend, a dino who always looks on the bright side of just about everything. He sparks Dr. E’s interest in becoming a teacher because of his shared love of learning and desire to help others. Professorius warmly welcomes Dr. E to the classroom.
The students themselves are pretty amazing. They including towering Argentinosaurus, a speedy Albertosaurus, a mighty T-Rex and more.
As the story unfolds, the students discover surprising facts about the dinosaur world. And young readers might just learn a few surprising things about themselves along the way.
Speaking of Wisdom…
There’s always more to learn. Heck, even in the dinosaur world, new discoveries are happening all the time.
Take the T-Rex, for instance. Kids absolutely love T-Rex, and everybody knows the classic image: a massive, terrifying predator with hilariously tiny arms. But what’s the actual deal with those short arms?
According to a report from Science Daily, recent studies suggest a fascinating evolutionary reason: “Because their giant skulls and crushing jaws became the ultimate hunting tools, their arms were no longer needed for hunting and likely shrank to prevent them from being bitten off by other T-Rexes during feeding frenzies.” Wild stuff.
Which leads me to think about our own brains. We certainly don’t want those to shrink, right? One of the absolute best ways we can keep young minds growing and thriving is to help kids read more.
The Screen Dilemma: Why Reading Matters More Now Than Ever
Unfortunately with screens galore and digital distractions abounding, kids are reading less for fun. According to data from the Education Department’s National Center for Education Statistics,the decline is stark.
An NBC News report highlighting the NCES findings revealed some eye-opening numbers:
- The share of 13-year-olds who read for fun has declined to nearly half since 2012.
- The share of 9-year-olds who read for pleasure has dropped by 16 percentage points over the past 13 years.
The report emphasized that “reading for pleasure directly correlates with higher reading scores on standardized tests” and “the most dramatic academic gains are seen in teens who say they read every day, compared to their peers who don’t.”
Soooooooooo. What do we do?
Let’s get more books into the hands of kids, whether they are being read to by a parent or teacher, and or dive into the pages themselves.
Dr. E is willing, ready and able to help. — Joe Cantlupe
About the Writer: Joe Cantlupe is an award winning journalist and passionate artist, and father of two sons. He is a former reporter and member of a Pulitzer Prize winning team at The San Diego Union-Tribune in California and wrote for The Home News in New Jersey. He has contributed to many other publications. He is co-author of a nonfiction book, Badge of Betrayal and wrote Dr Einsteinorous Becomes a Dentist.
About the illustrator: Jennifer Lenderking is a talented illustrator, muralist, business owner and mother. Her colorful and detailed works showcase her love for the natural world, and can be found on public murals, in illustrated books and elsewhere and on her website at https://www.jenniferlenderking.com/. She illustrated Dr. Einsteinorous Becomes a Dentist.
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